Energy Recovery Reports Record Full Year and Fourth Quarter Revenue for 2023

Energy Recovery, Inc. (Nasdaq:ERII) (“Energy Recovery” or the “Company”) today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2023.

Fiscal Year 2023 Highlights

• Record annual revenue of $128.3 million, which includes a 79% growth in wastewater and represents nine consecutive years of revenue growth.
• Record quarterly revenue of $57.2 million, representing a 35% year-on-year growth with strong performance in Energy Recovery’s primary desalination business and the continued rapid expansion of the company’s wastewater sector. Water revenue was below guidance due to the delayed shipment of a single project to be shipped in 2024. This project was highlighted as a potential risk in the Q3 earnings call.
• Gross margin of 67.8%, within Energy Recovery’s expectations and above guidance.
• Operating expenses of $68.0 million, in line with Energy Recovery’s expectations.
• Income from operations of $19.1 million.
• Net income of $21.5 million and adjusted EBITDA(1) of $31.2 million.
• Operating cash flow for the year more than doubled largely due to strong customer collections and strategic efforts to optimize raw inventory turnover rates.
• Cash and investments of $122.4 million, which include cash, cash equivalents, and short-term and long-term investments.

“We achieved record annual and fourth quarter revenue in 2023, which represents our ninth consecutive year of revenue growth despite a shift of $8 million revenue associated with a single project that was pushed from the fourth quarter into 2024,” commented David Moon, President and CEO.

“Our core desalination business is healthy, our wastewater business continues to grow rapidly, and we are making progress in our CO2 refrigeration business. This year, we expect to see our newest and most efficient product, the PX Q400, achieve roughly 50% of sales in our megaproject channel. Wastewater could reach up to 10% of our Water revenue in just three years and we are pushing hard to get our PX G1300 in multiple supermarket chains in the U.S. and Europe.”

Mr. Moon added, “Our focus in 2024, and beyond, is rebuilding shareholder value and trust within the market. We remain committed to our growth strategy of diversification into new markets, which is key to Energy Recovery’s future. In 2024, we will continue to defend our leadership position in our core desalination business, and invest in new market opportunities in CO2 and wastewater, while managing both expenses and cash with discipline and a focus on investing in the highest and best use of shareholder capital. I am excited by the long-term growth prospects and believe we are well-positioned to continue to grow.”

Financial Highlights

Non-GAAP Financial Highlights (1)

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain matters discussed in this press release and on the conference call are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including expectations regarding the shipment of projects; our belief that our core desalination business remains strong; our expectations regarding the growth of our wastewater business; our belief we are making progress in our CO2 business; our belief that we can defend our position in seawater desalination; our ability to build shareholder value; and our belief that the Company is well positioned to continue to grow. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to us and on management’s beliefs, assumptions, estimates, or projections and are not guarantees of future events or results. Potential risks and uncertainties include risks relating to the future demand for our products, risks relating to performance by our customers and third-party partners, risks relating to the timing of revenue, and any other factors that may have been discussed herein regarding the risks and uncertainties of the Company’s business, and the risks discussed under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the year ended December 31, 2022, as supplemented by the risks discussed under “Risk Factors” in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2023, as well as other reports filed by the Company with the SEC from time to time. Because such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, the Company’s actual results may differ materially from the predictions in these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are made as of today, and the Company assumes no obligation to update such statements.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release includes certain non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted operating margin, adjusted net income, adjusted net income per share, adjusted effective tax rate, adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow. Generally, a non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of a company’s performance, financial position, or cash flows that either exclude or include amounts that are not normally excluded or included in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, or GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures do not reflect a comprehensive system of accounting, differ from GAAP measures with the same captions, and may differ from non-GAAP financial measures with the same or similar captions that are used by other companies. As such, these non-GAAP measures should be considered as a supplement to, and not as a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. The Company uses these non-GAAP financial measures to analyze its operating performance and future prospects, develop internal budgets and financial goals, and to facilitate period-to-period comparisons. The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures reflect an additional way of viewing aspects of its operations that, when viewed with its GAAP results, provide a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting its business.

Notes to the Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2023 Financial Results

• Adjusted operating margin is a non-GAAP financial measure that the Company defines as income from operations which excludes i) share-based compensation; and ii) non-core operational costs, such as VorTeq-related severance costs and accelerated depreciation, divided by revenues.
• Adjusted net income is a non-GAAP financial measure that the Company defines as net income which excludes i) share-based compensation; ii) non-core operational costs, such as VorTeq-related severance costs and accelerated depreciation; and iii) the applicable tax effect of the excluded items including the share-based compensation discrete tax item.
• Adjusted net income per share is a non-GAAP financial measure that the Company defines as net income, which excludes i) share-based compensation; and ii) non-core operational costs, such as VorTeq-related severance costs and accelerated depreciation; and iii) the applicable tax effect of the excluded items including the share-based compensation discrete tax item, divided by basic shares outstanding.
• Adjusted effective tax rate reflects adjustments for share-based compensation discrete tax item, share-based compensation, and VorTeq-related severance costs and accelerated depreciation.
• Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure that the Company defines as net income which excludes i) depreciation and amortization; ii) share-based compensation; iii) non-core operational costs, such as VorTeq-related severance costs; iv) other income, net, such as interest income and other non-operating income (expense), net; and v) provision for income taxes.
• Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure that the Company defines as net cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures.

Conference Call to Discuss Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2023 Financial Results

LIVE CONFERENCE CALL:
Wednesday, February 21, 2024, 2:00 PM PT / 5:00 PM ET
Listen-only, US / Canada Toll-Free: +1 (877) 709-8150
Listen-only, Local / International Toll: +1 (201) 689-8354

CONFERENCE CALL REPLAY:
Expiration: March 22, 2024
US / Canada Toll-Free: +1 (877) 660-6853
Local / International Toll: +1 (201) 612-7415
Access code: 13743738

Investors may access the live call and the replay (approximately three hours after the live call concludes) over the internet on the “Events” page at: https://ir.energyrecovery.com/news-events/ir-calendar.

Disclosure Information

Energy Recovery uses the investor relations section on its website as means of complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, investors should monitor Energy Recovery’s investor relations website in addition to following Energy Recovery’s press releases, SEC filings, and public conference calls and webcasts.

About Energy Recovery

Energy Recovery (Nasdaq: ERII) is a trusted global leader in energy efficiency technology. Building on our pressure exchanger technology platform, we design and manufacture reliable, high-performance solutions that generate cost savings and increase energy efficiency across several industries. With a strong foundation in the desalination industry, Energy Recovery has delivered transformative solutions that optimize operations and deliver positive environmental impact to our customers worldwide for more than 30 years. Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Energy Recovery has manufacturing and research and development facilities across California and Texas with sales and on-site technical support available globally. To learn more, visit https://energyrecovery.com/.

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